John Henry Abigail

ABIGAIL, JOHN HENRY

• Rank: Private
• Service No: 9694
• Date of Death: 12/09/1917
• Age: 20
• Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment 8th Bn.
• Grave Reference:
• Cemetery: ESQUELBECQ COMMUNAL CEMETERY
• Additional Information: Son of John James and Susannah Maria Abigail, of 17, Distillery Yard, Oak St., Norwich.

UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929

• Name: John Henry Abigail
• Gender: Male
• Death Date: 12 Sep 1917
• Rank: Private
• Regiment: Norfolk Regiment
• Regimental Number: 9694

From http://paul-cracknell.blogspot.co.uk/2006_11_01_archive.html

...John Henry Abigail. He was one of several brothers and called up at 18, no doubt undernourished. We were told where he was born, where he lived and interestingly got insights into his upbringing. The NSCPCC had not been in existence for long and had contact with his parents who were warned about wilful neglect of their children and his father was an alcoholic. He was seriously injured during part of the battle of the somme and was taken to the Norfolk Battalion training camp to recover. Whilst there he heard that his father was sent to jail for wilful neglect of his brothers and sisters. He absconded to sort out family affairs and gave himself up. This happened again when both his father and mother were jailed for wilful neglect at a later time. They were given a months hard labour and his brothers and sisters sent to the workhouse. Again he gave himself up within a couple of days.
He was also punished for deserting. One punishment was to be strapped in minimal clothing to a gun carriage and left in the open air all day. This was during one of the harshest winters on record. When he was physically able he was sent back to the front line. This time to the battle of flanders. (That may be wrong - rhianna started talking to me at that point!). He left the battle field and was found soaked to the skin and hungry. He was given a lenient sentence. Well a suspended one at least and given an opportunity to redeem himself. He again deserted just before a particular battle. I can't remember which one, other than to say in one day 6million shells were fired over the heads of the advancing soldiers. He was arrested and shot for cowardice and deserting in the face of the enemy. He would have been paraded in front of his battalion. His executioners drawn from his own comrades.
He was one of those who received pardons (not the crime but acknowledgement about the punishment being disproportionate) as a result of the recent armed forces bill.

St Augustine's in Norwich, Norfolk, has a finely carved oak memorial screen erected in 1920 to commemorate the sacrifice of members of the parish who died on active service, 1914-1919. Among the names of the fallen is that of Private John Henry Abigail, who was executed in France in September 1917.

from http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/thosewhoserved/a-gw.php

John Henry Abigail served with the Norfolk Regiment 8th Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 12th September 1917, aged 20 and is buried in Esquelbecq Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.
It's a long story, a very sad one. In brief he came from a very poor family, with more than it's share of troubles. John's parents exhibited what I think now would be termed a "chaotic lifestyle" often leaving their children to go without food. His father may well have been an alcoholic, more inclined to spend his hard earned cash; (he was a drayman) on beer in the local pubs and beer houses around Oak Street, than to spend it on his family.
John went to war being called up in March 1916 he left Distillery Square down near the Anchor Brewery. He fought through some fairly hideous experiences in the 8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, finding himself in the charnel house that was the Somme including actions at Delville Wood (aka Devil's Wood) where he was wounded.
On return to Britain he went AWOL twice from a camp near Felixstowe, extenuating circumstances, relating to his family, may have led to him not feeling the full impact of the law, but still being given everything from detention, and pay cuts to field punishment, On at least one of these instances his father was imprisoned leaving his younger siblings without any care other than those which the corporation and the early NSPCC could give, so he ran home. The battalion were eventually sent back out, this time to fight at Arras, he deserted again and was found near 'Eat Apples' or Etaple, a training camp, also known as The Bullring, on the coast. He was sent back again this time to Comines. Under the mud, blood and bombardment of Passchedaele he deserted again, this time was the last time, he was found wandering behind the lines.